Question: I am just disturbed by the violence happening in the world now a day. For quite some days I was much worried and one question is haunting me a lot. Is it necessary to have kids into this bad world? Why should they suffer a lot? How important for a married couple to have children? Without children world cannot progress, but still I am pretty much sure that if they come into this present world they have to suffer a lot. Knowing that how can I even think to have kids? I am already a mother of one. How can I protect him from the bad in this world? Is there any way that world is going to change into beautiful heaven? What is my role as a human to contribute to the world’s welfare?
And also please suggest me some books (easy to be understood by a novice like me), which will make my mind pure.
Answer: I would like to tell a story in reply to your email. It is said that Einstein never used to visit a church and the priest of the place used to say that if he doesn’t visit the church and pray, he will go to hell. After sometime, Einstein died. After few more months, the priest also died. The priest was very curious to know to which hell Einstein has gone. So he went one hell after the other to find him out. At last he came to the last hell, but found there were nice gardens with beautiful music, and whole area was filled with peace and serenity. And when he was wondering how the hell is like this, he found a person who was none other than Einstein. So when he questioned, he said, there is another place reserved for you, you can go there, and said, this is what I have made out of the hell to which I was sent.
From this story, you must know that you are the maker of your destiny. You can make the place either a hell or a heaven. If you are sincere and hardworking, the hell can become a heaven otherwise it will be otherwise.
Now why do you worry about your child being in this horrible world? The horribleness is not in the world, but it is in the hearts of the person who sees it. That is the reason Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi said, which happened to be her last message: “Do not find fault with others, rather find your own faults. None is a stranger my child, the whole world is your own“.
Put some positive and strength giving ideas to the child from its young age and the child will come up well. Don’t think your child is too small. It is said that once a lady went to Aristotle and said, “I want to put my child under your care so that he becomes wise. At what age it will be the right time?” Aristotle asked that lady as to what is the age of the child and knowing that it is five years old, he said that “you are five years late”.
Please read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Gospel of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and selections from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda. These books are available in various Indian languages also. You can get these books from any of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission centers the addresses of which are available on our website.